Houthi Territory Gains Threaten To Choke Off Saudi Oil, As Trump Refuses Call For Strikes

Iran-backed Houthi fighters now control Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast as U.S. officials say projectiles struck pump stations along the Saudi pipeline system that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthi boats reached Perim Island — which divides the narrowest point of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into two shipping lanes — on Friday after Yemeni government forces withdrew, and the group also took the coastal town of Dhubab facing the island, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters. Projectiles struck pump stations along the East-West pipeline, which carries crude from the Persian Gulf coast to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, on Thursday, two U.S. officials told CNN.

One official said drones from Iraq hit the system, and it was not clear who was responsible or whether the pipeline itself was damaged, the outlet reported. Saudi Arabia and Aramco have not confirmed any incident.

Aramco did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Donald Trump at least twice Thursday to request U.S. military help against the Houthis, and Washington told Riyadh it would not take direct military action for now but would share intelligence and targeting, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, confirming an earlier Axios report. A senior administration official confirmed to the DCNF that the calls and the intelligence and targeting support took place.

“The United States is focused on protecting our core national security interests — such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea—while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges,” the official told the DCNF.

The U.S. may not be able to fight on both fronts, Dan Grazier, director of the national security reform program at the Stimson Center, told the DCNF.

“The depletion of the munitions stockpiles and the trouble the Navy is having keeping ships on station suggests that officials in Washington would rather have the Saudis deal with the Houthis,” Grazier said.

Taking on the Houthis would require pulling ships from other missions, such as moving the USS George Washington from the Pacific, which “creates some strategic risk,” he added